The Hindu : Breathing easy now

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 04, 2003

Opinion

Opinion - News Analysis

Breathing easy now

Most of those who tested positive are recovering fast, writes Arunkumar Bhatt.

THE AUTHORITIES keep them in isolation wards or under house arrest. Their neighbours want them shifted out of their own homes. That's the plight of the SARS-afflicted in Pune and Ambernath.

The disease is dreaded almost like AIDS though it has claimed no life in India and most of those who have tested positive are recovering fast. Some have already returned home.

Maharashtra is one of the `worst affected' States — 15 persons have tested SARS-positive.

Besides, the authorities have quarantined 62 others who came into contact with the De Silvas, the family which is the prime source of infection.

Seventy others are under virtual house arrest. What makes SARS so dreaded is the very low knowledge about it, its global presence and high infectivity, says A.C. Mishra, Director of the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, one of the agencies conducting SARS tests. The NIV's major contribution is in developing globally adopted WHO-prescribed tests, initially using imported reagents and now with locally procured reagents.

Despite using the indigenous reagents, the material cost of each test runs into thousands of rupees. The NIV researchers have been working round the clock for the past four weeks. They have also been taking precautions so as not to spread the infection. The NIV is against engaging more laboratories for the tests as the danger of the infection spreading then increases.

It will be quite some time before we know for sure if the Indians enjoy superior immunity to SARS. Researchers will have to conduct widespread serological tests to find out if SARS in some form had existed in the country and hence the population had been armed with antibodies.

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Breathing easy now